Istria

Dave picked up our red Jeep this morning in Trieste and we crammed ourselves and most of our gear into it and hit the road. 

The bikes are on break until next Tuesday, when we return to Trieste.

Our first stop was the Museum of the Castle of San Giusto Armory and Lapidarium, which was basically a bunch of old weapons and even older Roman relics. Aside from the historical interest, it was fun because it was on top of a hill we NEVER would have climbed on bikes.

Next stop was a Spar for our usual grocery store lunch (this time eaten in the car on the go -- deluxe!).

Dave did a masterful job of navigating both Slovenian and Croatian roads, with Lyle as primary navigator.

Oh, the Istria Peninsula is magical. Olive groves, vineyards, and green expanses, flanked by the blue sea. We stopped in the hilltop town of Grožnjan, which was full of art shops and olive oil and had extraordinary views.

We are now in Rovinj, a Croatian fishing port on the west coast of Istria. There are no cars allowed in the old city, which is where we are staying, so we left our car in a parking lot just outside town. Expensive but part of the deal.

As we were hauling ourselves and our stuff up the winding streets to our Airbnb, we stumbled upon a film crew and had to wait while they finished a shoot. There was fake laundry and fake graffiti up and down the street, which was pretty silly.

Our evening stroll included gelato and a climb up to the top of the 62-meter bell tower of the Church of St. Euphemia via an incredibly sketchy wooden staircase. The views and sea breeze were worth it!

Tomorrow my goals are to swim in the sea, do laundry, and read my book.

-- Liv